Deeper thoughts after the course

This course deepended my thinking of social services. There were some familiar things on this course, but also some new things to think about. I think digitalization is really intresting topic and it effects everything. Digitalization will be changing all the time and will be really important tool in the future. In this course we learned group working skills. It’s important to know how to work in groups because in working life there will be situations where you need to use these skills. 

                                                                                                                    -Lotta 

   Thought provoking course 

The course deepened my thinking about the social sector more broadly. Empathy and interaction skills are emphasized in all roles in social work. There were some familiar things on the course, but also a lot of new things to think about. Most of all, this course was thought-provoking and required your own personal reflection. Ethics was the most interesting topic for me. Ethics is connected to everything we do. The course also made me think about the problems of the social sector. Does empathy or the criteria of good care always come true? In practice, they often don't. However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't all strive to make these values a reality in our future work. 

                                                                                                                                        -Katri 

 

Team work and learning experiences

I learned from this course that for example when we did write about etchics that it´s important also to talk with your work mate about how they feel and think about it.This way you can have lot more perspectives and expand your own vision.  

I think that the digitalization was intresting subject and specially the effects of that. Working at home is nowdays general and I was thinking that if I would be a customer for example to child welfare, I would rather meet my supervisor face to faced than in some kind of online meeting. I feel like it´s easier to told about different things and my supervisor would be easier to read me because he/ she sees my nonverbal language better.  

In this course, there was lots of new things to learn and internalize. We had to “pull the same rope” to make this blog work. And hear everyones opinion and apply them so everyone would be happy. It`s important to learn that, because in worklife there will be situations when you have to pull the same rope and sometimes settle for somebody else`s opinion. 

This course made me think how the future look like in the field of social services. Hopefully we can quarantee high quality and reputation that Finland has.  

                                                                                                                            -Krista

Broad social sector

 The course was difficult, but on the other hand interesting when you really got to know it. The social sector is very broad, everything is connected to everything. Social media and the service criteria got me the most interested. In my former job in home care, I saw how the service´s criteria were not really met. I hope I can be of help in my next future jobs in the best possible way. 

                                                                                                                                        -Sari 

 

We must keep hope alive

The course was interesting and comprehensive. There was a lot of material and some of it was difficult for me because my English is so weak.  

The social field is broad and includes many different things. Ethics and social media were the topics that interested me the most. I am an entrepreneur and I always have to think about what I can write in social media about customer cases.  

Finland is used to good health care, but are the criteria for good service still met everywhere? I sometimes feel depressed when I think about the future of the social sector. We must keep hope alive. 

                                                                    -Tuula 

 

Something old, something new, something borrowed and  something blue... 

Something old: As I have been working within the police for more than 20 years, some of these topics were quite familiar from my everyday working life. We face the same dilemmas and dark side of life, but at the same time we have a chance to bring some light and comfort into our client´s lives. Ethics are pretty much the same aswell the communication and ability to work in multi-cultural enviroment. I do realize that the way we look diffent situations is different, but the moral and ethical basis is pretty much the same: Being trustworthy, sensitive, emphatic, reliable, law-abiding, unselfish etc. Also the topic about professional growth really got me thinging how I grew up being a police officer and how I can grow up to become a professional in social services. 

Something new: To be honest, I don´t feel that competent with all these modern time gadgets. Social media is something I never use, I don´t have accounts in any platform and I am really struggling to keep up with the new technology. Digitalization is, on the other hand, something I can´t avoid. Everything in modern society is more or less digitalized, or will be. Another thing I have to work with. The thought that gives me hope of surviving in all this is, that human interaction can´t be digitalized even though it might happen thru a digitalized platform. This topic was not the easiest for me, but I gain new information and new percpective about social media and digitalization.

Something borrowed: Actually this one I have to turn around. There is something I will borrow from these topics, not the other way around. I was really carried away with the topic "Customership and professional dialogue". There was so much that made me think about my approach at work towards my clients and also in my role as a chairman at the local sports club. Somehow I never before stoped to think about these things. It was more like "this is how we are used to do it". I actually took these lessons learned in practise all ready. I loved the way this whole topic challenged me to re-think my behaviour as an representative of an authority. Now my approach in every discussion, debate or dialogue is more on the listening side rather than trying to push my ideas and thoughts through. If we only could implement this kind of approach more to my present work culture...

Something blue: Well, there was nothing blue in these topics, but if you think blue as a color of an emotion, color of sadness, you could say that some of these topics were about how things should be in ideal world, but in some cases we are so far off. And that makes you sad. We learn for example about good care, but in so many cases good care (especially in mental health care) is just a word. Those people who are the most vulnerable  and less capable of taking care of themselves are the ones receiving smallest amount of care. If any. Our society is unfortunately heading towards the future where only the strong survive. That for these topics are so important to keep in mind and we have to try our best so that our voice is heard in the decision making.  

                                                -Mikko-

My thoughts about the subjects

During the course, I was surprised to learn how many different emotions arose in me. Sometimes the emotions were strong. In particular, fatherhood and cultural differences in fatherhood raised a wide range of emotions. I had to really think about how I would act in similar situations in my professional life. I want to be professional and always think about what is best for the client without getting my own feelings involved. I think I will encounter a lot of similar situations at work where I have to refer back to my own work and activities. However, I feel secure in my job because I have many colleagues to support me.  

                                                                                                                    Leea-Stiina